I must say, this car is really well put together. I'm a long-time resident of the foxbody forums, and while it's unlikely that anything will take the place of the fox in my heart, after a week driving one I can definitely see an S550 in my future.
The car I drove had the performance package, 3.73s, a Corsa catback system, and aftermarket springs that I'd guess are lowered and stiffer than stock. All of my dozens of cars have been manuals since I learned to drive. My fox has a custom T56, I also owned a T56 Corvette. I mention that just to say that I have never felt a shifter as nice as the one in the S550. Shifts are like butter, and it's effectively as short a throw as any I've had. I really love the way that 6 speed feels.
The brembo brakes are super touchy, and I still haven't quite adjusted to the light touch they need in parking lots where they need only a fraction of the pressure and travel I'm used to. However, I found them excellent in spirited driving, and though I made a couple panic stops to feel how well the car stops, I never put the kind of heat in them needed to test fade. I noticed it took far more pedal effort to engage the rear ABS. An adjustable proportioning valve would probably be a nice modification for those that like to track the car.
In the cold weather, 40s and 50s, the pirellis acted like, well... summer performance tires. I never really trusted them, and the car could break them free with ease in 2nd and occassionally in 3rd just from matting the throttle. I had to be careful throttling out of a corner, as the rear snapped out very quickly. Still, in oversteer the chassis reacted predictably to my inputs and was easy to recover on any traction control setting. I'd like another chance to reassess the pirellis in warmer weather.
The seats are awesome, and surprisingly tight. I'm not sure if they're recaros or what, but they had amazing side support, lumbar and at 6'3, I was surpised that I did not actually prefer the seat as far back as it could go in its tracks. That’s a first for any sports car for me.
The rest of the interior is phenominal in comparison to my foxes or the old corvette I owned. Love the materials and design, though I could do with a few less buttons on the steering wheel.
Performance-wise, on a privately owned farm road, I dispatched an older Camaro ZL1 that made 580 stock, because the fellow couldn't drive and didn't have enough car to run me down. I suspect traction favored the lower powered mustang in the colder weather. During an easy going track day session, the car also pulled very strongly through the top of 5th at around 152-153ish mph. 6th drops the RPM too far, but is clearly intended for fuel economy. Nevertheless the car still pulled to around 160ish before I reached the braking point for the next corner. I'd say the car would make 170, no problem, but I read there's a limiter at 164. It was steady as a rock at any speed. The hood dances a little, though. I suppose that's an indication of some underhood air pressure building up those speeds.
All in all, I like the S550 enough that it is the first Mustang that I've considered buying since the fox. They really did this car right!
The car I drove had the performance package, 3.73s, a Corsa catback system, and aftermarket springs that I'd guess are lowered and stiffer than stock. All of my dozens of cars have been manuals since I learned to drive. My fox has a custom T56, I also owned a T56 Corvette. I mention that just to say that I have never felt a shifter as nice as the one in the S550. Shifts are like butter, and it's effectively as short a throw as any I've had. I really love the way that 6 speed feels.
The brembo brakes are super touchy, and I still haven't quite adjusted to the light touch they need in parking lots where they need only a fraction of the pressure and travel I'm used to. However, I found them excellent in spirited driving, and though I made a couple panic stops to feel how well the car stops, I never put the kind of heat in them needed to test fade. I noticed it took far more pedal effort to engage the rear ABS. An adjustable proportioning valve would probably be a nice modification for those that like to track the car.
In the cold weather, 40s and 50s, the pirellis acted like, well... summer performance tires. I never really trusted them, and the car could break them free with ease in 2nd and occassionally in 3rd just from matting the throttle. I had to be careful throttling out of a corner, as the rear snapped out very quickly. Still, in oversteer the chassis reacted predictably to my inputs and was easy to recover on any traction control setting. I'd like another chance to reassess the pirellis in warmer weather.
The seats are awesome, and surprisingly tight. I'm not sure if they're recaros or what, but they had amazing side support, lumbar and at 6'3, I was surpised that I did not actually prefer the seat as far back as it could go in its tracks. That’s a first for any sports car for me.
The rest of the interior is phenominal in comparison to my foxes or the old corvette I owned. Love the materials and design, though I could do with a few less buttons on the steering wheel.
Performance-wise, on a privately owned farm road, I dispatched an older Camaro ZL1 that made 580 stock, because the fellow couldn't drive and didn't have enough car to run me down. I suspect traction favored the lower powered mustang in the colder weather. During an easy going track day session, the car also pulled very strongly through the top of 5th at around 152-153ish mph. 6th drops the RPM too far, but is clearly intended for fuel economy. Nevertheless the car still pulled to around 160ish before I reached the braking point for the next corner. I'd say the car would make 170, no problem, but I read there's a limiter at 164. It was steady as a rock at any speed. The hood dances a little, though. I suppose that's an indication of some underhood air pressure building up those speeds.
All in all, I like the S550 enough that it is the first Mustang that I've considered buying since the fox. They really did this car right!
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