The 6 spd tranny is available now ///
but sheading 600lbs ???
If it was even possible, I figure that we would have heard about it already.
:Track: racers are always looking to lighten up things ....
anyway,,,, until then, I'd suggest leaving the 'little lady' at home
I would love to see a 6 speed tranny as an option to the average GT.
As far as the motor, Ford could do so much more with the small 4.6L and save weight as opposed to going to the 5.4L. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have a big motor, but take a look at the new BMW M3 (or M5). They are using a 4.0L V8, na and it is putting out over 400 HP, and it is lighter than their orginal I6. Now that is using technology to its fullest. I just read about it yesterday in one of the popular car mags. Instead of using big displacement which means more weight, which the Mustang doesn't need, how about more power and loosing weight.
GM and Mopar are just putting bigger and bigger engines in their new cars, but the cars are getting heavier as well. If Ford would use technology in stead of brute force, they would rule the affordable pony car world, not just in sales, but at the track too.
I guess all we can do is wish.
On topic as for the engines:
I don't believe that engines designed and built by BMW/MB and Audi should even be brought into the same conversation for comparison to Ford, Chevy, Dodge. Perhaps Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan would be a better comparison.
Simply looking into the actual design specifications of the E60 M5 using the S85 5.0 Liter V10 engine with VANOS, 10 individual electronically controlled throttles, 40 valves, all-aluminum engine and aluminum chassis with their 7-speed SMG III transmission does not even warrant comparison, neither does the $83,000 price tag. Add this to what LV51FER mentioned: unless you are making $150,000+ a year and only keep the car for as long as the warranty is in effect, Sweet!
APPLES TO ORANGES in the automotive engineering world.
If you want to buy a used german car without a warranty - THINK AGAIN - nightmare for the average-intermediate DIY mechanic. The Audi A4 Quattro we had with the 30 valve 2.8L V-6 was a beautiful car, but God forbid the day it hit 100,000 miles and we started trying to locate parts and perform maintenance. Simply trying to perform a timing belt change with only $300 worth of parts requires removal of the entire front bumper, radiator, water pump, tensionors, cam shaft seals, etc. So this is an entire day worth of labor for an adequate DIY person or $2,000 for the labor at the dealer or a german specialty shop, because no other shops in town want to play the timing belt change game. Oh, did I mention this needs to be done @ 80,000 miles.
Timing chains FTMFW. - and located within reasonable access this side of hell would be nice. Even the V-8 Audi with a timing chain has it in the REAR of the engine.
All those "convenience and comfort" package items are AWESOME when they stop working. The lock cylinder actuator pump went bad on us, so we pull it out to go to the pick and pull to try and find one - NOOOOOOO the car won't start without it - integrated into the anti-theft (used rebuilt unit $500 that does not include the individual door mechanism - just the central actuator. hahahahha).
The beautiful Bose Concert surround - AWESOME - until the head until toasts. Some may ask.... Well, can't you just replace it with an aftermarket unit
Noooooooooooooo not if you ever want to be able to run the VAG-COM scanner to pull error codes because the Bose head unit is INTEGRATED into the VAG system which requires the stock head unit port pins.
A/C starts to act up. A/C clutch - cool we can handle that - wander down to the dealer - $1,300 for the unit or $547 for the clutch assembly.
So boys and girls, drool over those german engineered engines and remember that those toys come with a hefty price tag in the beginning, middle and end. I can appreciate the complexity of the designs, but loath the complication for the average home mechanic.
For every engine advancement in the name of fuel efficiency or emissions we lose our ability to choose to work on and/or modify our cars. We become a slave to "the man" or we all go the ASE school to keep abreast of the technology. Give me old school push-rod or give me........... a bike or some tennis shoes.
Nice thread...carry on.